Ricky Dimon
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For the first time since 2019 (and for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic), Major League Baseball is heading back to London. On the heels of a 2-game set between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox 4 years ago, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will play a pair of games this weekend with the London Stadium is hosting the festivities on Saturday and Sunday.
Below is my Same Game Parlay for this first London Series showdown between National League Central rivals, and also be sure to check out all of our MLB picks.
Cubs -1.5 (+104)
Under 13 runs (-105)
Ian Happ to record an RBI (-125)
Parlay odds: +692
Part of the value in Same Game Parlays, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here, as Ian Happ recording at least 1 RBI obviously works well with a Cubs victory. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the case with also backing the under, but at such a high number (13) there is no reason why Happ can’t find success while also having this game stay under the total.
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Cubs -1.5 (+104)
Both teams come in playing well, with the Cubs having just swept the Pirates and the Cardinals winning 4 of their last 5 overall. So where can the edge be found? Well, it doesn’t take a genius to find it. The pitching matchup is Chicago’s Justin Steele against St. Louis veteran Adam Wainwright. At 41 years old, there clearly isn’t much left in the tank for Wainwright. His ERA is close to 6.00. Steele also has the edge in that he is a ground-ball pitcher, which should mitigate most of the effects of the small stadium across the pond. I’ll take my chances with the Cubbies, who have good value at plus-money to prevail by multiple runs.
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Under 13 (-105)
Any time MLB moves out of its traditional stadiums, whether that is Europe, Mexico City, or the Field of Dreams, there is always the potential for strange outcomes. The Yankees and Red Sox played in London Stadium in 2019 and the scores were 17-13 and 12-8. There were a combined 10 home runs hit in those games. Since then, the walls have been backed up a bit, and seating has been added that shrinks the foul-ball territory. The wall in the center field is still only 392 feet, though, but it does stand 16 feet tall in dead center. Down the lines is 330 feet, and while London itself is a windy play (the Cubs should feel right at home!), the stadium was built to minimize those winds for the 2012 Olympics — so any gusts should not be a major factor. Look for Steele to keep the ball on the ground and limit the Cardinals in the early innings, ultimately helping keep the contest to a relatively low total.
Ian Happ to record an RBI (-125)
Ian Happ absolutely owns Adam Wainwright. The left fielder is 11-for-32 (.344) lifetime in the head-to-head matchup with 4 home runs and 3 doubles. That alone is enough to like Happ’s chances, but he also comes into this one with additional confidence. The 28-year-old has delivered 2-hit performances in each of his last 2 games, giving him 3 multi-hit efforts in the last 7 contests (he also had 3 hits against Pittsburgh on June 15). Happ had 2 RBIs on Wednesday and in a small park against a vulnerable pitcher I expect him to deliver at least 1 today.
You can also check out today’s MLB mega parlay, YRFI/NRFI Best Bets and our College Baseball World Series predictions
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